The longest year is coming to a close, and it’s time for giving thanks in the midst of our sorrows and losses both large and small. Two thanks-giving traditions will continue: Giving Tuesday, and the long-term tradition of thanking donors for gifts.
Retaining gifts from current major donors and growing their giving and involvement is a large part of your major gifts program. It takes much more time, effort, and creativity to engage new donors than it does to retain and grow your current donors.
Will new funding for Black-led organizations be enough? What will philanthropy’s legacy be as it relates to short term and long-term investments in the Black community and other communities of color? Five things for philanthropists to consider.
Tell an honest story. Major gift conversations and solicitations need to be grounded in the truth of your organization and its work. Major donors need and want to know the truth; a relationship with a nonprofit is grounded in honesty and trust.
Should nonprofits look at the source of a gift? What are our values? Activists and religious leaders question wealth that derives from slavery, land theft, imprisonment, red-lining, discriminatory lending, and exclusion from decision making.
Many nonprofit leaders put their heart into pursuing a gift only to have the proposal declined. When this happens, offer opportunities beyond a cash gift. It might be slower, but involvement increases chances of a gift at another time.
“Agitation, though helpful, will not alone stop the crime. Year after year statistics are published, meetings are held, resolutions are adopted and yet lynchings go on…The only certain remedy is an appeal to law.” – 1909 – Ida B. Wells
Identifying who can step in to assist during an unplanned staff departure can help ensure continuity of operations. Four proactive steps your nonprofit can take to prepare for unexpected leadership changes. Know your key staff members and what to do.
Different names are used by people to describe their giving; and different names are used by nonprofits to describe those who give to them. When words are used with different meanings confusion can creep into a relationship creating confusion.
The nonprofit “meltdown” comes 72 hours before a board meeting: Everything else stops. The agenda keeps changing, which changes the info in the board packet. Staff wonder, “will there be a quorum?” as they don’t know which board members will attend.